Couvreur – A K&L Direct Import Feature
Just outside the town of Beaune – the spiritual capital of Burgundy – is the sleepy hamlet of Bouze-les-Beaune: a collection of old stone dwellings that looks much like every other small village in the area. As you make your way there, through the well-known communes of Pernand-Vergelesses and Aloxe-Corton, you see signs pointing the direction to every producer in the area. Burgundy is one of the most highly-regarded wine regions in the world, if not the most. Yet, amidst the rolling hills of chardonnay and pinot noir vines sits one of the most unsuspecting collections of Scottish single malt in existence; a veritable treasure trove of mature whisky aging in top-quality sherry casks. If you can find the unmarked home, adorned barely with an address, you’ll likely be invited inside. The parlor is very unassuming. It seems like nothing more than a rustic French home – a classic milieu for the many winemakers in the region.
Not many Americans have heard of Michel Couvreur, and even fewer know that he passed away a few years back after more than five decades in the whisky world. Within the booze business, however, he’s a bit of a legend. A Belgian-born wine lover who moved to Burgundy for the wine trade, yet vacationed in Scotland where he developed a taste for sherry-aged single malt. Believing he could possibly improve upon the quality of his beloved whiskies, he built an expansive cellar beneath his house and travelled through Jerez in search of the finest old sherry butts. He then contracted new-make spirit from his favorite Scottish distilleries and aged the whisky in his own private cave.
Michel Couvreur K&L Exclusive Overaged Peated Malt Whisky (750ml) ($82.99)
The chance to work with Michel Couvreur on a special K&L whisky project was something that David and I had been dreaming of for years. We had heard the stories. This crazy Belgian had moved to Burgundy in the 60s, carved out a wine cellar inside a mountain, only to fill it with Scottish single malt whisky instead of pinot noir. He set up camp in Beaune, ordered new-make spirit to be delivered by tanker, and drove down to Jerez himself; selecting his own sherry butts to insure only the finest quality casks for his contracted spirit. Unfortunately, Michel Couvreur passed away in 2013 from pancreatic cancer, thus ending the career of one of the industry’s most courageous pioneers. Luckily for us, however, apprentice Jean-Arnaud has carried on after studying under Michel for more than a decade. When we visited the underground cave, we were all in total awe. The tunnels of dripping stone go on forever, and the amount of whisky stored in this secret lair is jawdropping. We put our trust completely in Jean-Arnaud and are happy we did. Our peated version of the incredible sherry expression is a seamless creation that drinks like the best version of Johnnie Black ever, mixed with the most supple and soft expressions of Macallan. It’s a lush, unfiltered, creamy, caramel-laden dream of a whisky composed only of malts 12 years and older. There’s a bit of peat on the finish, but the soft sherry is the star. (NOTE: do NOT cut the hard wax seal, tap it so that it breaks)
David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 14, 2014
The magnificence that is Michel Couvreur has always been clear, but it wasn’t until we stepped into the special cave, carved out of the rock, in Bouze-Les-Beaune that you can full appreciate the incredible endeavor in process at this fine producer. While this is by definition NOT scotch, because it is aged outside of the country, the old school practices utilized at here are unusual back in Scotland. The fact that these guys literally drive to Jerez to pick out fresh sherry casks (from Equipos Navazos no less) is totally unique in modern times. In fact, no producer of malt whisky is getting access to fresher barrels than these guys. Despite not being able to use the famous moniker, does not preclude this from being one of the most authentic and absolutely delicious malts on the market. Stupendous depth and complexity even at 86 proof, while the sherry is toned down from the standard version a subtle fino/amontillado quality exists in the back ground. This is pointed by a fabulous smokey sweetness, which hints at the source whisky. Maybe an island somewhere, maybe a drop of Islay, wildly high-quality Highland whisky with a French sensibility. A truly unique gem.
Jean-Arnaud Frantzen has been working at Michel Couvreur for eighteen years and he couldn’t be happier. He adores single malt whisky and its potential for greatness when you have respect for its process. He’s carried on in Michel’s absence and continues to build relationships in Spain where he travels frequently in search of the finest barrels. Unlike Scottish producers, he drives the butts back himself so that they are as fresh as possible, thereby eliminating the need for sulfur and inoculation. Couvreur has always been just as interested in the sherry itself, rather than just the whisky that was aged inside its former receptacle. “Every wine has its own story and each cask is different,” Jean-Arnaud said. “We prefer to only use old casks, in which the sherry has sat for thirty to forty years.” Because of the Scotch Whisky Association’s strict rules about single malt classification and labelling, Couvreur has always had a difficult time calling itself what it is: Scottish single malt whisky (or sometimes blended single malt whisky) aged in France. Today, many of the labels simply say “malt whisky” without any other designation. While the industry has sought to protect itself (and consumers) from imitators and frauds looking to capitalize on Scotch whisky’s reputation, Couvreur is not a threat. In fact, his whiskies are so good and so innovative that they serve as inspiration for many of Scotland’s best producers. Because the cellar is located in the heart of French wine country, Jean-Arnaud and his team treat whisky like French wine – they’re looking for nuance and delicacy, not big alcohol and power.
While there we let Jean-Arnaud know we were looking to do a custom cuvee with Michel Couvreur, something rich and supple on the palate, but with peat. Within a few months we had a real winner on our hands: the “Overaged” Peated malt whisky, a marriage of single malts all over the age of twelve. The whisky has been so popular over the last few years that we’re now on our third batch and, personally, it’s my favorite by far. The sherry flavor is bright and fruity rather than savory, and the peat smoke is oily and phenolic, like something in between Lagavulin and Bunnahabhain. It’s simply tremendous stuff. This year we decided to add a customized blend of the decadent “Blossoming Auld Sherried” malt whisky, a a recreation of the legendary malt whiskies of the Victorian Era – a time when Sherry and Scotch were both kept on hand in the cellars of England and Scotland’s great estates and drawn for consumption as needed. Matured in one single butt of the freshest possible Montila Morales casks, this whisky is redolant of that great wine of Jerez in a way that’s simply not available in modern bottlings. This ultra saturated butt from a solera started in the 1950s at Toro Albala is one of a kind and Couvreur is the only producer allowed to buy from the venerable Bodega. Getting to work directly now with the estate is a huge win for us and for serious fans of sherry-aged single malt who shop with K&L. Working directly now, we’ve been able to negotiate pricing that makes these whiskies even more attractive to consumers in the know. If you’re a fan of smooth, rich, supple, and complex malt whiskies, then you owe it to yourself to try one of these royal blends. In the world of sherry-aged Scotch, Michel Couvreur is king. - David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer
Michel Couvreur K&L Exclusive “Blossoming Auld Sherried” Malt Whisky (750ml) ($219.99)
Michel Couvreur established his business selling Burgundy wines in the early 1950s in Scotland. In 1978, French friends suggested that he add a top quality Scotch to his portfolio, which began Couvreur’s interest in the whisky industry. He believes that the oak whisky is aged in has an outsized influence on the character of the finished product. He also strongly prefers Sherry casks for the maturation process, and has gone to great lengths to source what he believes are the finest casks from Andalusia. The Blossoming Auld Sherry is a recreation of the legendary malt whiskies of the Victorian Era. An era when Sherry and Scotch were both kept on hand in the cellars of England and Scotland’s great estates and drawn for consumption as needed. Matured in one single butt of the freshest possible Montila Morales casks, this whisky is redolant of that great wine of Jerez in a way that’s simply not available in modern bottlings. This ultra saturated butt from a solera started in the 1950s at Toro Albala is one of a kind. Couvreur is the only producer able to buy from the venerable Bodega and they receive the choicest butts delivered still wet to the cellars in Burgundy. The casks was kept in medium humidity for the majority of it’s maturation before being moved to the wettest part of Couvreur’s cellar where extractive atmosphere is at a maximum. Age is inconsequential in terms of the quality here, but it is indeed older than all but the most expensive of Couveur’s offerings. A Triumph.
David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 22, 2016
The first time I tasted the Blossoming Auld Sherry was at a wonderful little bistro in Levernois outside of Beaune called Du Bord De L’Eau. After a wonderful meal at this exceptional casual restaurant, the director of Couvreur Jean Arnauld suggested we finish the night with a taste of something special from his exceptional collection. We could have taken the exceptionally expensive vintage offerings, but he recommended this special little treat. From the moment I put my nose to the glass I was transfixed. Of course, I know Couvreur’s style and what to expect, but this was unlike anything I’d yet come across. It was truly like diving head first into the finest Sherry, but at 90 proof!!! The nose exhibits an intoxicating bouquet of plum preserves, old exotic wood, fresh leather, tobacco and the intricately carved wooden pipe to pack it. The palate is SO smooth. When someone says they like something “smooth,” it’s such a vague notion, and difficult quality to guarantee in a product, but THIS is what they’re talking about. The density of the fruit remains on the palate, but it’s pointed with wonderful dried citrus and sweet herbal notes. This is the real deal, and while not inexpensive, it out-performs its price point by a mile and then some. Imagine having a bottle of sherry that never goes bad, which you can sip by the ounce and clocks in at 45%! You’d never stop, so you know, you shouldn’t. We’re the exclusive source for this product in California and will likely buy the entire US allocation of 20 cases.
David Driscoll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 20, 2016
While the Blossoming label is not a custom one like the peated blend we make with Couvreur, this particular batch of the Blossoming Auld Sherried was bottled specifically for us and shipped as part of our exclusive order. It is utterly divine. It is the softest, smoothest, more concentrated sherry-aged whisky on the shelf by far. Its like the sherry and the whisky have fused to become one perfect entity. As we know from our visit, Couvreurs specialty is sherry. They select their own butts from Jerez personally and have connections going back to the 1960s. The result of that sherry is on display here.
